Morning journal and courier., 1887-10-22

Foreign Missions.
To the Editor of the JOURNAL AND COURIER:
The Rev. Burdett Hart is reported to have
said, on his return from the recent meeting
of the board at Springfield, that ''it was
question whether the board was to override
its charter and send out men to preach some
new philosophy instead of the theology of
the scriptures" that "The new departure
men, SO called, do not claim to have any
scriptural ground for their philosophy or
theory or speculation. And, again, ''If
man applied to the American board for per-
mission to go out as missionary under its
auspices to preach the philosophy of Vol
taire," etc., ''of course the board would not
allow it and would not be called intolerant
on account of its refusal, but the case is pre-
the board would tend ''to check the spread
of the future probation doctrine" as "the
American board probably is recogized as an
authority in such matters" that ''contribu-
tions will come in freely now," etc. The In
dependent says editorially, "The position of
the board is that it cannot send as missiona-
ries men who entertain hope that the heath
en- will have probation in the next ife,''
nor trust to the decision of councils as to the
doctrinal fitness of candidates for the mis-
sionary field It says that most of the minori-
ty of the board "disclaim any belief in the
doctrine which the board has refused to
recognize" and asks if they twill demand as
condition of their continued support that
the board will approve doctrine which they
themselves reject" The Independent also,
with what consistency those who read may
Judge, in one column insists that the minor
ity F'must continue to give the board gen
erous support or betray the truth;' and, in
parallel column, quotes approvingly the
remark of "learned divine" at Spring
field, that chad the Andoyer party been
successful at Springfield of course when once
in power they would feel the need of money
and would not expect much from the old
conservative contributors to the board and
would not dare very earnestly to
solicit aid from that quarter" This
''learned" defender of the action of
the board supposes that, had the policy of
intolerance prevailed and conservative sup-
port as a probable consequence been with
drawn, CDR Smyth' might have fortified
his request for liberal donations with the
assertion that "we shall further say to the
heather that if they refuse to hear us preach
the gospel and refuse to read Gods holy
word as given in the Bible they need not
worry themselves very much in this life
endless future after death they will doubt
less have time enough to hear the gospel"
etc. This, ''the learned divine" said, was
"fair statement" of the position of the An
dover party.
If the policy of intolerance already bears
such fruit that ''learned divine" who is
committed to it feels under 90 obligation to
regard the command not to bear false wit
ness against his neighbor, what may we ex-
pect from the continuance of such a policyl
Is it SO that there has been any desire ex-
pressed or felt on the part of the minority to
send out missionaries to teach anything else
than the gospels Is it not SO that the board
rati6es the action of the prudential commit
tee in rejecting Mr.. Morse, who said: 81 am
not prepared to affirm that those are lost who
have not heard the gospel in this life. do
not believe that the Bible teaches such doc
trine. do believe that the general tenor of
the scriptural teaching is that now is the day
pose to tesch. All that mean is that as re-
CARDS the hypothesis of a future probation I
do not know. Practically it affects neither
my belief nor my teaching"
IL it SO that those who hope that there
will, in Gods mercy, be found time for
repentance for those who have not so much
as heard of Christ here edo not claim to
have any scriptural ground" for their hopes
Such statement is amazing to one who has
read something of the controversy at Spring
field and especially some statements made to
the prudential committee by some of the re-
iecEed applicants for missionary service. In
his letter to that committee Mr.. Torrey said:
'Because this hypothesis is not without
support in scripture, and is confirmed by
what we may reasonably expect God will do for
men in view of the revelation of himself
made in Jesus Christ. This hypothesis does
not conflict with scriptural views OF the i'm
portance of the present life. The view of
,,r1n Rhok tha
present life furnishes the most favorable OPP
portunity for hearing the gospel on account
of the danger of sinful habit, and 20 those
who have enjoyed this most favorable oppor-
tunity it is the only opportunity"
Is the case of one who hopes for Gods
fntnre mercy for those who have not SO
much as heard of Christ here, but would not
even preach his hope, parallel to that of one
who would deliberately teach the inhdelities
of voltaire7 Is not the assertion that it is so
as foolish as it is slanderous of men of
hizh culture, profound scholarship and deep
Christian devotiona Is not the "article' to
which Mr.. Hart refers as having been pub
lished" by him some time ago, in which he
elaborated this view" as to "the soundness
of the laity," the same which appeared in the
Congregationalist, many of the salient mis-
statements of which were SO fatty contra
dicted in a subsequent issue of the Congrega-
tionalist by the present pastor of the Congre-
gational church at North Adams? Certainly
| flattery of the laity was a prominent feature
of that article. If the statements of Mr.. Hart
and of the 'learned divine'S quoted by
| the Independent are to be considered fairly
| indicative of the views and spirit of the ma
| iority of the American board the board
| has indeed fallen into a sad state of deca-
| dence The loss of such earnest and toler.
ant Christian workers in the American board
as Mark Hopkins and Alpheus Hardy seems
| irreparable But truth and progress are not
likely to permanently suffer by reason of the
| action of those who add to their intolerance
| the most unjussihable misrepresentation or
| misconception, or both, of those who enters
| tain larger hope and greater tolerance.
As prominent Journal has well said, re-